Sport
22 May, 2026
2026 MCDFNL Football Round 7 Preview — Avoca vs Dunolly
Avoca return home this week looking to bounce back from another difficult outing, while Dunolly will be searching for an important breakthrough win when the two sides clash at Avoca Public Reserve.
The Bulldogs are coming off a heavy 132-point defeat to Talbot, where they were overwhelmed by the Hawks’ relentless pressure and attacking firepower. Avoca struggled to generate consistent opportunities going forward and were unable to contain Talbot’s dangerous forwards for most of the afternoon.
Despite the result, Bryce Howell, Keenan McLinden and Daniel Howell continued to compete strongly, while Matthew Wardlaw and Darcy Coghlan showed glimpses in a difficult day for the Bulldogs.
Dunolly also enter the clash after a loss, going down to Lexton by 39 points at Deledio Reserve. The Eagles started brightly and led at quarter time, but were unable to maintain that intensity as the Tigers gained control through the middle stages of the game.
Mitchell Goodwin again battled hard for Dunolly and was well supported by Jay McDonald, Bailey Morton and Kallum Schepers. The Eagles have shown patches of competitiveness throughout the season, but consistency across four quarters remains their biggest challenge.
The midfield battle looms as crucial, with both teams looking to improve their ball movement and ability to generate quality inside-50 entries.
Avoca will likely rely heavily on experienced players like Alex Riches, Daniel Howell, and Jordan Thomas to lead the way around stoppages, while Dunolly will look to Goodwin and McDonald to drive their midfield.